North and South Dakota were dually blessed & cursed by an early-season blizzard on November 6th & 7th. Areas near central North Dakota reported getting nearly 12 inches of snow. Due to high wind speeds, drifts as high as 4 feet were reported to have accumulated in areas. Unfortunately the harsh weather downed power lines in Northeastern North Dakota, leaving thousands of households without electricity.

With consistent northwesternly winds and temperatures that remain below freezing all winter, North Dakota’s naturally treeless plains could potentially become a snowkiter’s haven once the snowpack accumulates. In 2007 and in 2008 the 2XtM adventure crew attempted twice to cross the entire state via snowkite. In 2008, the crew successfully crossed the state from Canada to South Dakota, but ran out of snow and used all-terrain boards to finish the last leg of the journey.